


The Buddy System

by Chash



Series: Charity Drive 2017 [9]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 21:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9923024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chash/pseuds/Chash
Summary: Octavia's the one who sends out theWho's coming to the Women's March on DCemail, but her brother is the one Clarke starts talking to about it.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sarahkomskaikru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahkomskaikru/gifts).



Clarke knew about Bellamy Blake before the Women's March on DC, but only in the sketchiest of terms. Those being that he existed, he was related to Octavia, and he was overprotective. None of which made her particularly interested when Octavia replied to Raven's, _Who's Going to the Women's March_ email with, _I'll be there with my brother and my boyfriend._

As statements went, it was innocuous and unremarkable, and Clarke replied to say she'd be there too and moved on with her life.

And then, a week before Christmas, she gets an email.

From: **Bellamy Blake** (Bellamy.Blake@umb.edu)  
To: **Octavia Blake** (best.of.eight@gmail.com), **Lincoln Elwood** (lincoln.r.elwood@gmail.com), **Nathan Miller** (n8_m1ll3r@gmail.com), **Raven Reyes** (reyes@corvidAI.com), **Clarke Griffin** (griffin@corvidAI.com), **Monty Green** (green@corvidAI.com)  
Subject: Women's March  
Hey guys, this is Octavia's brother Bellamy, for those of you who don't know me. I know we've got a month before the inauguration and holidays are coming up, but I wanted to make sure everyone was set with logistical stuff and no one needed a ride/place to crash/whatever.

And yes, O, I am calling you out for not having any of that shit done yourself. This email is about you.

From: **Octavia Blake**  
Shut up, Bell! I LIVE IN MARYLAND, I DON'T NEED A PLACE TO CRASH. THERE'S A TRAIN.

From: **Bellamy Blake**  
You still don't have a plan. I asked what you were bringing and all you said was "brass knuckles."

From: **Clarke Griffin**  
That's actually a good start, but Bellamy's right, it's not really enough. I've got accommodations figured out, but if we want to meet up it's going to take some coordination. Have you guys been to protests before? I've got a checklist of stuff to bring, I'm attaching it.

From: **Octavia Blake**  
Oh no you and Bell are gonna be like the Captain Planet of Mom Friends. I didn't think that through.

From: **Bellamy Blake**  
That doesn't even make sense, O.

But that's a really good checklist. Thanks, Clarke.

*

She hadn't been thinking much about the social side of going down to DC, which was a mistake in retrospect. It's going to be a giant protest, and unless they plan, they won't see each other at all. Not that they have to see each other or anything, but no one should be left alone, and it would be a good opportunity. Clarke hasn't seen Octavia since graduation, and it would be cool to catch up. Besides, there are going to be a lot of people there, so the more of them in the core group, the easier it will be to make sure no one is ever alone or whatever.

And that's the kind of worrying that Raven and Monty roll their eyes at, but Octavia's brother is actually on-board with, which is the other reason she's grateful for the email chain. Not that it remains an email chain for long; after a few rounds of her and Bellamy talking about supplies, Raven tells them to get a room, which is probably fair, because no one else actually _cares_. So she takes everyone else off and the two of them coordinate for their respective groups, which is a much better fit, and much more respectful. Raven and Monty will go along with whatever she tells them about protest prep, but they have no interest in planning things.

It should make it worse, to hash everything out with Bellamy. A lot of the time, when Clarke frets, talking to someone else makes it worse, especially someone else who's fretting too. They tend to wind each other up. But it's not like that with Octavia's brother; when the two of them consult, it reassures her. The protest on the whole is too white and female for her to think they're going to get into any major altercations, but Bellamy's concerned because Miller and Lincoln are black, and he's what he describes as a _police-fearing Asian_ , and Clarke tells him she's bringing Wells too, so they're both more than a little anxious about cops. And she's kind of worried about Raven too, for all she doesn't want to admit it; a march could be tough for her with her leg, and Clarke knows she's an adult who can make her own choices and manage her own life, but she's also stubborn and always pushing herself, and Clarke doesn't know how to not think of doomsday scenarios for everyone.

And Bellamy makes her feel better about all of it. It's kind of miraculous.

So, yeah. She's looking forward to the Women's March as much as she can be looking forward to an event that is happening only because she is genuinely terrified about the future of her country, but she's maybe especially looking forward to actually meeting Octavia's mysterious, overly paranoid mother-hen of a brother. Which doesn't even make sense, because he's actually _local_ , unlike Octavia, and she could technically meet him whenever, but she has no reason to. It would be weird to email him and ask if he wanted to hang out. She's not even convinced they have anything in common.

Wells comes to pick her and Raven up at the airport, because he is a polite, well-raised young man who takes his duties as a host seriously. And, Clarke's pretty sure, because he has a gigantic crush on Raven, for which she can't blame him. Raven is an excellent person to be into.

Case in point: she greets Wells with a warm, "Sup, Jaha," and a hug, and Wells looks completely poleaxed.

It would be good for both of them. And then maybe Wells would move to Boston. Clarke's working a long game here.

"Good to see you guys," Wells says, recovering and giving Clarke a hug too. "Flight go okay?"

"No complaints," says Raven. "Except that Clarke was out of touch with her panic boyfriend."

Wells' eyebrows shoot up. "Panic boyfriend?"

"Octavia's brother," Clarke says. She tries for a dismissive tone and isn't sure she quite gets there. "He stresses as much as I do, so no one else has to put up with us. I haven't even met him."

The statement might be convincing, but her phone buzzes, and when she looks, it's Bellamy, texting, _You guys get in okay?_ Which, again, would be fine, but--her goofy smile is unavoidable, and they both notice it.

"Panic boyfriend," Raven says. "How are we getting back to your place?"

"Train," says Wells, and Clarke follows them with most of her attention on her phone, since the jig is up anyway.

 **Me** : Landed, deplaned, on the way to the train with my friend Wells

 **Bellamy** : Wow, I can't believe it took you this long to check in  
This is the kind of failure to communicate that won't fly at the march

 **Me** : You know it's going to be so crowded none of our texts will go through, right?  
This isn't a comparable situation  
How's the train?

 **Bellamy** : Terrible  
It's not even much cheaper than flying  
Remind me to never do this again

 **Me** : Never do this again

 **Bellamy** : Thanks  
Helpful  
You ready for tomorrow?

 **Me** : I hope so  
I'm glad we're close enough we can just walk  
Public transportation is going to be a nightmare

 **Bellamy** : Thanks for not adding the "sucks to be you" there

 **Me** : I thought it was implied

 **Bellamy** : Yeah, I figured it out  
You know, if phones aren't working, we might have trouble finding each other

 **Me** : If only we had a meeting spot  
And I knew what your sister looked like  
And she knew me and Raven  
And we'd planned this exhaustively

 **Bellamy** : If only  
I'm just saying  
I'm going to be disappointed if we don't actually find each other  
After all this trouble

 **Me** : Looking forward to seeing you too  
Gotta be social  
Have fun on the train

 **Bellamy** : See you in hell  
Or tomorrow  
Whichever comes first

 **Me** : Can't wait

*

It doesn't occur to her that she doesn't know what Bellamy looks like until she's already gotten into an argument with him. Which she really wasn't _trying_ to do, but he's hanging out in their meeting spot, alone, glaring at the world, with his arms crossed over his chest, and a red Trump hat on his head. He doesn't exactly look like a Trump supporter, but--he's a dude, standing where she wants to be standing, looking surly and unfriendly, and--if she's honest--she's spoiling for a fight. 

But she maybe should have read the hat before she went after him.

"Hey, this isn't really for you," she snaps.

His eyebrows shoot up, and Clarke notices, somewhat against her will, that he's really hot. He's got a pair of thick-framed glasses and olive skin and a tangle of black curls peeking out from under his hat and he's just--yeah, wow. Really hot.

But the hat is a _Make America Great Again_ hat, so, yeah. No one is _that_ hot.

"Sorry?" he says, sounding unimpressed.

"This isn't a rally for you."

"Yeah?" he asks. "Why not?"

"We're _protesting_ your president."

" _My_ president?" he asks. "You know who voted for Trump? White people. White _women_. Don't get me wrong, Princess, this is a good idea, and I'm glad something finally got millennial white girls pissed off, but some of us have been doing this our whole lives."

That's when she reads his hat-- _Make Racists Afraid Again_ \--and takes another look at him, tries filtering him through the lens of sharing half his genes with Octavia, and realizes, with sinking horror, who this has to be.

" _Police-fearing Asian_ ," she says, slow. "I really wasn't sure what that meant." His face clouds, and she gives him half a smile. "You're Bellamy, right?"

"As far as I'm concerned, basically everyone should be afraid of the police," he says, sounding like he's on auto-pilot. "But I'm dark enough to always get a second look at protests." He shakes his head, looks at her again, and asks, "Clarke?"

She taps the brim of his hat. "I didn't read it."

"What?"

"Your hat. I saw the basic layout and thought--"

He pulls it off, and then lets out a sharp bark of laughter. "You thought I came to the Women's March wearing a Trump hat?"

"You think there aren't going to be guys who show up just to be dicks?"

"True." Half his mouth tugs up in a smile, and he's really very attractive. She thought he'd be attractive, but not like _this_. "So, you're Clarke."

"And you're Bellamy. Where's your sister?"

"Exploring. Where are all your people?"

"Still at Wells'. They're flirting, so I thought I'd come over early. Try to find you."

"So, you came down here to look for me alone," he says, sounding amused. "Even though we agreed on a buddy system. And when you found me, you started a fight."

"Basically."

"Even though we agreed you shouldn't be fighting people without a buddy. I made Octavia sign an agreement that she wouldn't do this."

"You were in our spot!"

"Yeah, what a coincidence." He shakes his head. "Jesus. Good thing you found me. If you're going to fight racists, you're going to need backup."

"Not just racists. Basically anyone who needs fighting."

"Cool, that was my plan too." He offers his hand. "So, uh--nice to actually meet you, Clarke."

His hand is warm and firm and huge, and he's incredibly, stupidly hot. "Nice to meet you too," she says.

It's shaping up to be a great day.

*

Clarke and Bellamy stick together for the rest of the day, and aside from the minor misunderstanding about the hat, they get along just as well as she hoped they would. He's smart and sarcastic, and he backs her up when he thinks she's right and argues with her when he thinks she's wrong. 

And, again, _stupidly_ hot.

Monty is bonding with _his_ buddy, Bellamy's friend Miller, and Raven is letting Wells fret over her as much as he wants because she thinks it's cute, and Octavia and Lincoln are yelling a lot, so Clarke can actually relax and experience the march. Which is gigantic and humbling and terrifying and emotional, and when Bellamy grabs her hand to make sure they don't get separated, it's awesome too.

Not to be that girl who makes everything about her love life, but--she's got kind of a good feeling about this one. They're getting along just as well as she thought they would.

"You guys should come over," Wells offers, once the march is officially over. "You're in Maryland, right? The trains aren't going to clear up for hours. We can get pizza or something."

Octavia looks at Bellamy and Lincoln, and they both shrug. "Works for me," Bellamy says. He still hasn't let go of Clarke's hand, and she's pretty sure he knows he hasn't. It's not a just an oversight.

"You guys want to come?" Clarke asks Monty. "Where are your hotels again?"

"Yeah, I love pretending I have a social life," says Monty. "Assuming there's room."

"The more the merrier," says Wells, and Clarke buries her smile when he turns to Raven, all concern, and softens his voice to ask if she needs more Advil.

"You know, I think we might have been too worried about this," Clarke tells Bellamy, just as soft, and he smiles.

"Yeah?"

"Never underestimate the protective power of white women."

He snorts. "It helps that you and O are the most likely to pick stupid fights and the least likely to get punished for it."

"They're not _stupid_ fights."

"You didn't read my hat," he teases, and she laughs and sways into him a little.

"Okay. That one was stupid. But I learned something."

"How to read?"

"Not to jump to conclusions."

"Inspirational."

"Also how to read."

"Glad to help." He wets his lips. "So, you're in Boston, right? Working for Raven's tech company?"

"Yeah, I do her graphic design. And you teach history at UMass?"

"Yeah. Which is pretty close to your office."

"It's not that close. I checked."

He grins at that. "Close enough, right?"

"Close enough for what?"

"Dinner seemed like a good start."

"We're getting dinner now."

"Okay, fine, not the start. But--it's going to be a long four years. I could use a buddy."

She really hopes no one else is paying attention to them, but they all seem busy with their own flirtations, so--they're fine. They're on their own. And it's not like she cares if anyone knows. Everyone probably already knew.

"To make racists afraid again?"

"Not just racists." He squeezes her hand. "Anyone who needs it, right?"

"Yeah," she agrees. "That sounds about right."

**Author's Note:**

> I initially had Bellamy referring to himself as "the threatening kind of Asian" to identify why he felt uneasy at protests as a darker-skinned Asian man, but several commenters expressed that this was not an appropriate way for me to present this. In light of that, I've edited the fic to remove the phrase and clarify the source of Bellamy's anxiety. I apologize for not recognizing the problem myself.


End file.
